Looking for a new PvE Server

To make it simple, the server I'm on is dead in PvE. Most zones have more bots than players, which makes playing rather boring/frustrating. Even Lion's Arch never has any overflow servers active during any part of the day. Since new server transfers are now on a one week cooldown, I thought it better to ask than simply chance it. Besides, this thread might help someone else in the same boat.

Basically I'm looking for a server that has active PvE players pretty much 24/7. I have a rather unpredictable schedule so I could find myself playing at virtually any time of the day or night. I do partake in some WvW, but to me an active PvE playerbase is the priority as I spend 90% of my time doing that.

Tarnished coast only for the entertainment of randomly stumbling upon, um, PG-13+ roleplayers in the rub a dub dub, three norn in a tub hot spring in Wayfarer foothills. Population is decent in higher level areas, but places like snowden drifts are pretty empty. I imagine the 15-45 areas are getting a little lonely on most servers though.

Isn't TC a roleplay server? I'm not into roleplay, would that make me unwelcome?

Naw, TC is only the unofficial RP server. I didn't know this when I joined at launch, but to be honest, it won't really affect your gameplay experience unless you actively seek it out in a tavern or something. I've run dungeons with pugs and done the dragons/orr events and there was no RP at all. The RP to me is mostly random occurrences in the world where you bump into the RP crowd and all the complicated emotes show up in the chat log. I consider it a little extra "spice" that (I think) is a unique feature of the coast. If you enjoy taking off your armor and yelling Cannonball! while jumping into a hot spring full of armor-less RPers flirting with each other, before running off to kill stuff, it might be for you.

Naw, TC is only the unofficial RP server. I didn't know this when I joined at launch, but to be honest, it won't really affect your gameplay experience unless you actively seek it out in a tavern or something. I've run dungeons with pugs and done the dragons/orr events and there was no RP at all. The RP to me is mostly random occurrences in the world where you bump into the RP crowd and all the complicated emotes show up in the chat log. I consider it a little extra "spice" that (I think) is a unique feature of the coast. If you enjoy taking off your armor and yelling Cannonball! while jumping into a hot spring full of armor-less RPers flirting with each other, before running off to kill stuff, it might be for you.

We're decent WvW too, but not quite top tier.

Alright, thanks for the info!

Anyone other servers that anyone would like to suggest? Like I said before, my main focus is PvE and I have a crazy schedule so a server that's got PvE activity 24/7 would be my best bet!

TC definitely has their crap together. As does IOJ, SOS, SOR, and CD is even more PvE/Dungeon oriented (b/c we've clearly given up on WvW at this point...) ...Pretty much all of these servers are guaranteed to have "better" players in general doing Dungeons and other things than JQ will by next week. The ones with "Oceanic" presence should probably be your bigger consideration if all you care about is farming Karma at non-peak hours

Sorrow's Furnace is where I've been since BWE2. We're disorganized at WvW so there's no pressure there. In PvE where I am 99% of the time (spent 45min in pvp thus far) there is always a least one other player over the ridge in any area I go. Orr is filled often with 2 zergs at peak hours. Dungeon groups are alwats forming both in LA and at the area. People always actively dragonhopping too.

If you need a community-based guild if you come over just hit up: firstdragonslayers.bravesites.com

I'm from TC, and see dungeons being advertised all the time in LA and whatever zone the dungeon actually is. WvW seems mid-tier; we win many, we lose some. Most of the roleplayers also regularly pvp and pve, and are good at it.

As for the erps, it's pretty rare (I've clocked 920 hours since launch and never stumbled on any), and just report it (or let them know they're spamming everyone with terribad eporn). I suspect that those folks have no idea how big the range of /say actually is.

Given how bad the location and quality usually are, I'd guess that most of the public erpers aren't very experienced roleplayers or part of the regular crowd. Anyone who's been around for any length of time knows better and the RP community makes fun of those types, too.

The ones with "Oceanic" presence should probably be your bigger consideration if all you care about is farming Karma at non-peak hours

Well, I guess the best way to answer this is I would prefer a server that doesn't have off-peak hours. Since the time of the day I am able to play varies, I'd desire a server that is busy 24/7.

Then again, I'm starting to realize what I want is a moving target at the moment. While I may not WvW much, the populations in servers are greatly influenced by it. Therefore if I pick a server that seems good now, in 3 weeks it may be a ghost town if most of the WvW guilds decide to move elsewhere.

So I guess a better question is, which servers have the most stable population? I'm assuming Tarnished Coast would be relatively stable as the unofficial RP server. Is the Oceanic presence on Sea of Sorrows stable, or are they also moving with the WvW tide?

looking at the server list, pretty much all the places being suggested are full. and so you arent allowed to transfer to them.

you are only allowed to join servers that are listed below, as "high"

Yeah, that's crossed my mind too. I'd complain about how the population indicators don't seem to match perception, but that's a topic for another thread.

Anyway, your post meshed in with my previous post about how what I'm looking for is a moving target. Which is why I'm shifting focus to finding a server with a relatively stable population base, if one exists. I wish Anet would give a firm date for when guesting will be implemented beyond dungeons. I think that might solve my issue. I could simply create a thread about how I'm working on such and such content and I would be able to guest with someone else to help clear it.

Until they do away with free transfers, even at a week, I think your going to see the FOTW for servers based on who is in the top WvW tier. I'm currently on Henge of Denravi, which was once tier one, and then several key WvW guilds left and soon after there was a mass exodus. The difference between three weeks ago and now is stunning in terms of population and activity.

When I moved to Henge from Fort Aspenwood, FA was well populated, but seemed to be mostly very casual players with few guilds and low dungeon activity while Henge showed my several large guilds and a active player base. Now that guild is a slip of what it was and things are pretty slow on Henge, so I am in the market for another guild hopefully large and more casual than hardcore, or at least accepting of casual play.